During the installation of underground pipe lines, it is the conventional practice to position a carrier pipe conducting gasoline, oil, sewage, etc. within an outer tubular casing to protect the carrier pipe from damage. In some instances it is also necessary to electrically insulate the carrier pipe from the outer casing to prevent corrosion.
Such casing spacers and pipe supports are known in the prior art, but each has inherent disadvantages. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,082 discloses a casing spacer for use in supporting underground pipes within a horizontally disposed outer casing. This device is comprised of two steel shell members having a semicircular cross-section for engaging and enclosing a carrier pipe within an outer casing. Attached to the outer surface to each of the first and second shell members are one or more adjustable risers for engaging an inner surface of the outer casing so as to maintain the pipe in a centered position within the casing. Each riser includes a runner constructed of a plastic material to facilitate positioning of the device within the casing. The casing spacer's first and second shell members are securely coupled together by way of a flange with suitable attaching hardware along one edge and a hook and eye arrangement along the second, opposite edge.
A disadvantage of this device is that when secured to an underground pipe within an outer casing, the vertical spacing of the pipe within the encasement will decrease if the support and spacing device is caused to rotate within the encasement causing stress on the pipe joints and possible leakage.
Another example of a prior art pipe support and spacer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,701, which discloses a device for supporting an underground pipe or cable within the outer encasement sleeve of a horizontally bored hole. The support device includes a round collar having two resiliently spaced-apart ends which can be urged together to secure the device to the underground pipe or cable. A plurality of equidistantly spaced-apart and outwardly extending support legs are provided around the circumference of the collar which terminate in an elongate foot having opposing ends inclined inwardly toward the collar. Each foot extends generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the collar and has a greater length than the longitudinal length of the collar to facilitate placement and support of an underground pipe or conduit within the encasement sleeve of the underground hole.
However, the structure of this device requires that the support be slipped over the outside diameter of the inner pipe from one end only and slid along the pipe to the desired support position, which requires a cumbersome installation process.
Thus, the pipe support of the present invention has been developed to solve these problems and other shortcomings of the prior art exemplified below.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,082 to Eskew et al. discloses a casing spacer including first and second elongated steel shell members comprised of stainless steel or high strength steel with corrosion inhibiting coating with each shell member having a semicircular cross section for engaging and enclosing a carrier pipe within an outer casing. The casing spacer's first and second shell members are securely coupled together by way of flange and nut and bolt combinations along one edge and a hook and eye arrangement along a second, opposite edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,701 to Young discloses an underground pipe support and spacer for supporting an underground pipe or cable within an outer casing sleeve of a horizontally bored hole. This support device includes a round collar having two resiliently spaced-apart ends which can be urged together to secure the device to the underground pipe or cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,914 to Ziu discloses a centering support for a double contained pipe assembly of an inner pipe located within an outer pipe. This centering support has a first half defining a first surface substantially conforming to the outer surface of the inner pipe and a second half defining a second surface substantially conforming to the outer surface of the inner pipe. The first and second surfaces are seated on the outside surface of the inner pipe and the first and second halves are coupled together by at least one fastening member for coupling the centering support to the inner pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,378 to Dieter discloses a spacing element for spacing an inner pipe from an outer pipe. This device has an annular body including a plurality of segments adapted to be placed on an outer surface of the pipe and each having a plurality of projections providing with sliding surfaces and adapted to abut against the protective pipe. This spacing element further includes a plurality of electrically insulating wedge-shaped connecting portions for connecting the segments with one another. Additional connecting members such as electrically insulating pins, straps, and strings may be provided for connecting the segments with one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,975 to Wissmann, et al. discloses a glide tube ring for tube-in-tube systems, pipe conduits and the like. The glide ring tube according to the invention is provided with axially spaced glides running parallel to each other whose material has the lowest possible friction coefficient, especially a plastic, preferably a fiberglass-reinforced polyethylene, polyamide or the like. The glide tube ring is attached to the central tube forming a closed ring that centers this tube in the outer protecting tube.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,134 to Goehner discloses a sliding skid ring from the pipe member to be laid underground inside a jacket pipe consisting of least two segments connected to each other by tightening elements and held under pretention against the pipe member in a non-positive manner. The sliding skid ring is comprised of several identical segments. Each segment is provided on one side with a radial section in the form of one or more tabs and, on the opposite side, with another radial section in the form of a closure part having one or more insertion slots designated to accept the tabs.